POLITICO Playbook: A new election in North Carolina, Steve King says he has nothing to apologize for and Hogan rips RNC

Republican candidate Mark Harris may not run again in the new election for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District due to health concerns and the fraud allegations encircling his campaign. | Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, pool

-- LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ: “It remains unclear if Harris will run again. On top of health concerns, local GOP strategists said the fraud allegations surrounding his campaign may make it harder for Harris for raise money.

“A number of other Republicans are eyeing the seat, including Matthew Ridenhour, an ex-Marine who recently served as a Mecklenburg County commissioner, and Kenny Smith, a former Charlotte city council member who ran and lost for the mayor of Charlotte.” POLITICO

OUR QUESTION: THIS IS AN R+8 seat. How much money will the two parties spend to win a seat that has absolutely no bearing on the control of power in Washington? Will outside groups get involved? Once one gets in, they all do, and this could become a multimillion-dollar endeavor.

PAGING THE NRCC … DES MOINES REGISTER: “Steve King: ‘I have nothing to apologize for,’ plans to run for re-election,” by Tony Leys: “A defiant Rep. Steve King confirmed Thursday that he will run for a 10th term as an Iowa congressman, despite controversies over his history of caustic remarks, including about race and immigration.

“The Kiron Republican has been criticized by national and state leaders of his own party, has been stripped of committee assignments in Congress and has drawn three primary challengers for the 2020 race.

“King confirmed that he will run for re-election in 2020, despite drawing three challengers for the Republican nomination. He offered a message to voters in his northwest Iowa district: ‘Don’t let the elitists in this country, the power brokers in this country, tell you who’s going to represent you in the United States Congress.’” Des Moines Register … 1:51 video

WITH THE GOVERNORS COMING TO TOWN … ALEX ISENSTADT: “Hogan rips RNC for shielding Trump from primary challenge”: “Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday he expects to make a springtime trip to New Hampshire as he weighs a 2020 challenge to Donald Trump — and accused the [RNC] of going to extraordinary lengths to shield the president from a potentially draining primary.

“‘Typically they try to be fair arbiters of a process and I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been involved in the Republican Party for most of my life. It’s unprecedented. And in my opinion it’s not the way we should be going about our politics,’ Hogan, a popular two-term Maryland governor, said in an interview with POLITICO. ‘It’s very undemocratic and to say, “We’re in some cases not going to allow a debate, we may not have a primary…”

“‘And the question is, what are they afraid of?’ he added. ‘Because on the one hand you look at polls, 70 percent of Republicans support the president in a primary. Why are they so concerned? Why the puffing out the chest — ‘We’ve put together the greatest team ever assembled, we’re going to raise all this money early, we’re going to hire all these people early, we’re going to take over the RNC…’” POLITICO

“King County Elections records show a postage-paid ballot for the Feb. 12 special election was mailed to the billionaire former Starbucks CEO and potential presidential candidate on Jan. 23, but never returned.

“The no-show was in line with Schultz’s pattern of ignoring many elections over the decades, even while urging increased civic and political involvement by Americans.” Seattle Times

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America’s beverage companies are working together to bring you more ways to help reduce calories from sugar. Coke, Dr Pepper and Pepsi are offering more great tasting choices than ever before with less sugar or no sugar at all, smaller portion sizes, clear calorie labels and reminders to Think Balance. https://www.balanceus.org/

TALKER … ELIANA JOHNSON: “The North Korea summit nobody wanted: President Trump is excited to meet Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. Others fear he’ll give too much away”: “Many, including several of the president’s top advisers, are less excited. Some have expressed trepidation not only that the summit, scheduled to take place next week in Hanoi, may not yield big results. They worry, too, that Trump, eager to declare victory on the world stage, could make big concessions in exchange for empty promises of denuclearization. …

“Inside the administration, concern about the upcoming summit has come from predictable skeptics, including national security adviser John Bolton, a longtime opponent of diplomacy with North Korea, but also from unexpected corners. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the man charged with leading the negotiations, has expressed frustration to allies about the lack of diplomatic progress and voiced concern that his boss will get outmaneuvered, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversations.” POLITICO

FOR KEVIN MCCARTHY … L.A. TIMES: “California GOP’s next leader needs to raise money — fast,” by Christine Mai-Duc: “There’s at least one thing California Republicans can still agree on: To recover from brutal midterm election losses, they need to raise a lot more money.

“But when delegates vote to elect the party’s next chair this weekend, they’ll weigh pitches from two front-running candidates with very different views about just how to put Republicans on the offensive again in a blue state that’s a reliable cash machine for Democrats.

“Jessica Patterson, chief executive of California Trailblazers, a group that trains Republican legislative candidates, has said her long-standing rapport with top-dollar donors will help move the party forward.

“But Travis Allen, the hard-charging former gubernatorial candidate running against her, has decried ‘special-interest billionaires’ who fund the party and says he wants to instead fill its coffers with an unprecedented grass-roots fundraising effort that would ask thousands of ‘ordinary California Republicans’ to make small monthly contributions.” LAT

-- 2020 WATCH: HOLLY OTTERBEIN and NATASHA KORECKI: “Sanders has early lead over Warren in battle of the far-left”: “The Bernie Sanders vs. Elizabeth Warren primary is on. The run-up to their presidential announcements sparked concern on the left that having both of them in the race would split the activist base and clear the way for a more moderate nominee. Now that they’re both in, the competition between the two promises to be one of the more intriguing subplots of the primary.

“Sanders starts out indisputably ahead. Bolstered by the grassroots army he amassed in 2016, the Vermont senator easily outraised Warren in the first 24 hours of their campaigns. He’s far ahead of her in the polls, too, trailing only former Vice President Joe Biden, who hasn’t announced whether he’ll run.” POLITICO

The most reliable politics newsletter.

Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox.

Email

By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

“On Monday, Pence will make his third speech on foreign soil in the last two weeks when he travels to Bogota, Colombia, to call on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step aside, a high-profile address that will come as the world watches to see whether Maduro relents on a blockade that has kept humanitarian aid packages from Venezuelans facing food and medicine shortages.

“The request will come just days after Pence took a swing through Europe, where he broadsided allies with an unexpected demand that they pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal, while chiding them for continuing to do business with the country. Pence pointedly reiterated the dictates in a second speech, even after being issued a flat denial the first time around.

“On the foreign stage, White House officials say Pence has sometimes settled into a role as the administration’s bad cop, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the diplomat who sticks around to hash out particulars and the president is the showman who swoops in from time to time. And it’s a role Pence will likely continue to play in the next few months, as Trump’s schedule becomes increasingly campaign-focused.” POLITICO

ANDREW RESTUCCIA: “Trump stays silent on media-hating Coast Guard officer”: “[M]ore than 24 hours after news broke that a Coast Guard officer — an avowed white nationalist — was allegedly plotting to kill Democratic politicians and journalists, Trump has, at least so far, not said a word. Asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, ‘The president and the entire administration have condemned violence in all forms as we have stated many times.’ Sanders did not respond to questions about whether Trump planned to tone down his rhetoric.” POLITICO

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY -- “Trump administration begins effort to strip work permits for immigrant spouses,” by San Francisco Chronicle’s Tal Kopan: “After nearly two years of delays, the Trump administration is moving ahead with its plan to stop granting work permits to the spouses of many high-skilled visa holders, an effort that could jeopardize tens of thousands of immigrant families in California alone.

“Rolling back the permits could have sweeping consequences for the Bay Area, where tech companies heavily rely on high-skilled immigrants. Many of those workers come to the U.S. with spouses and children, and the loss of the spousal work permits could imperil families’ ability to stay in the country or deter workers from accepting jobs here to begin with.” San Francisco Chronicle

THE INVESTIGATIONS … DARREN SAMUELSOHN, JOSH GERSTEIN and MATTHEW CHOI: “Judge broadens gag order against Roger Stone after Instagram post”: “‘No, Mr. Stone, I’m not giving you another chance. I have serious doubts about whether you’ve learned any lesson at all,’ U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said near the end of a surreal 90-minute hearing, which was called in the wake of Stone’s Instagram post on Monday that featured an image of the judge with what looked like gunsight crosshairs in the corner.

“Under Jackson’s new order, Stone can’t make any public comments of any kind about the charges he’s facing from the special counsel, which include lying to Congress and witness tampering. He’s also banned from social media posts or speaking through surrogates about his case.” POLITICO

-- NYT’S SHARON LAFRANIERE: “[Stone] said he was suffering from extreme emotional and financial stress. His savings were exhausted, he said, and his business as a public commentator and consultant, which once earned him $47,000 a month, had dwindled badly. ‘I am having trouble putting food on the table and paying the rent,’ he said.” NYT

“John C. Fry has been charged in federal court with searching for and disseminating Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), reports filed by banks when they note potentially suspicious transactions. Federal officials say they found telephone records that indicate Fry placed a phone call from his personal cell phone to that of Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti the day before Avenatti released details of Cohen's financial transactions, and the day after.” NBC

Three competitors—Coke, Dr Pepper and Pepsi—are working together to reduce sugar consumed from beverages. That's a big deal. Learn more.

TRUMP’S FRIDAY -- The president will meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at 2:30 p.m. in the Oval Office. He will leave the White House at 7:10 p.m. en route to the Republican Governors Association event at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, where he will give a speech, before returning to the White House.

FOR YOUR RADAR -- “Federal prosecutors broke law in Jeffrey Epstein case, judge rules,” by Miami Herald’s Julie Brown: “Federal prosecutors, under former Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, broke the law when they concealed a plea agreement from more than 30 underage victims who had been sexually abused by wealthy New York hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein, a federal judge ruled Thursday. While the decision marks a victory for crime victims, the federal judge, Kenneth A. Marra, stopped short of overturning Epstein’s plea deal, or issuing an order resolving the case.

“He instead gave federal prosecutors 15 days to confer with Epstein’s victims and their attorneys to come up with a settlement. ... It’s not clear whether the victims, now in their late 20s and early 30s, can, as part of the settlement, demand that the government prosecute Epstein. But others are calling on the Justice Department to take a new look at the case in the wake of the judge’s ruling.” Miami Herald

K STREET FILES -- “Russian-backed U.S. energy company hires lobbying firm with connections to Trump to help with China deal,” by CNBC’s Brian Schwartz: “A lobbying firm run by former advisors to President Donald Trump is representing American Ethane Company, an energy producer funded by Russian billionaires that is involved with a Chinese aluminum company.

“Turnberry Solutions, a lobbying group run by former Trump campaign advisor Jason Osborne, has signed American Ethane as a client, according to a new lobbying disclosure form.” CNBC

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America’s beverage companies are working together to bring you more ways to help reduce calories from sugar. https://www.balanceus.org/

BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- “Tennessee gov. says he regrets wearing Confederate uniform,” by AP’s Jonathan Mattise and Scott Stroud in Nashville, Tenn.: “Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was 17 when he joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity at Auburn University, which every spring held an ‘Old South’ party where he and other members dressed in Confederate uniforms.

“The fraternity has since ended the tradition, and Lee, four decades removed from his undergraduate days at the Alabama university, says he regrets attending and wearing the uniform, and has come to see his participation in the event differently. A spokeswoman for Lee confirmed on Thursday that Auburn’s 1980 yearbook includes a photo of the governor and another man in Confederate uniforms.” AP

MEDIAWATCH -- “‘James Bennett Will Recuse Himself’: If Senator Michael Bennet runs for president, his brother, the New York Times opinion editor, will stand down,” by Vanity Fair’s Joe Pompeo

-- “Every 2020 Candidate But Trump Promises: No Stolen Data,” by The Daily Beast’s Sam Stein, Jackie Kucinich and Scott Bixby: “Nearly three years after hacked materials upended the 2016 presidential campaign, every Democratic candidate running for the White House has pledged not to knowingly use such material should they end up being published during the current election cycle.

“Only one 2020 campaign declined to make such a commitment: President Donald Trump’s. The Daily Beast asked each presidential campaign either up-and-running or in its exploratory phase whether they would commit to not knowingly using or referencing hacked material that appears online on grounds that it may have been obtained illegally.” The Daily Beast

PLAYBOOKERS

TRANSITION -- Ronald Newman has been named the ACLU’s acting national political director in its national political advocacy department.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Ed Brookover, partner at Avenue Strategies. A fun fact about Ed: “Every Saturday morning I have a standing date with my two young granddaughters. We go to parks, shopping malls, libraries, always end with lunch together. Then we all head home to take a nap!” Playbook Plus Q&A

America’s beverage companies—Coke, Dr Pepper and Pepsi—are working hard to support families as they reduce the sugar in their diets. That means offering more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all, putting clear calorie labels on every product and working with public health organizations and other national and local partners to build stronger, healthier communities.

With more choices, smaller portions and less sugar, America’s families can find the balance that’s right for them. https://www.balanceus.org

This article tagged under:

About The Author : Anna Palmer

Anna Palmer is a senior Washington correspondent for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Anna covers the world of Congress and politics, and has successfully chronicled the business of Washington insiders for years. Her stories take readers behind the scenes for the biggest fights in Washington as well as the 2016 election.

Prior to becoming POLITICO’s senior Washington correspondent, Anna was the co-author of the daily newsletter, POLITICO Influence, considered a must-read on K Street.

Anna previously covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call. She got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.

A native of North Dakota, Anna is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she was executive editor of the weekly campus newspaper, the Manitou Messenger. She lives in Washington, D.C.

About The Author : Jake Sherman

Jake Sherman is a senior writer for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Jake is the top congressional reporter on Capitol Hill and has built a career on landing hard-to-get scoops.

Since 2009, Jake has chronicled all of the major legislative battles on Capitol Hill, and has also traveled the country to cover the battle for control of Congress.

Jake takes readers inside the rooms where decisions are made. His high-impact reporting resulted in the resignation of Aaron Schock.

Before landing at POLITICO, Jake worked in the Washington bureaus of The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He also interned on the metro desk of The Journal News (N.Y.) and, during high school, worked on the sports desk of the Stamford Advocate (Conn.).

Jake is a Connecticut native, and a graduate of The George Washington University — where he edited The GW Hatchet — and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Jake lives in Washington with his wife Irene, and listens to an unhealthy amount of Grateful Dead and Phish.

About The Author : Daniel Lippman

Daniel Lippman is a reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Before joining POLITICO, he was a fellow covering environmental news for E&E Publishing and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He has also interned for McClatchy Newspapers and Reuters. During a stint freelancing in 2013, he traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to cover the impact of the Syrian civil war for The Huffington Post and CNN.com.

He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time.